The Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Dr Maikanti Baru has been showered with praises by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson for the way and manner he has transformed the corporation and promote transparency since assuming office as the GMD.
The Governor and his State Bayelsa who were part of those at the 50th seminar on Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, United States, in a statement released by the Corporation was quoted to have said:
I would like to commend and congratulate the GMD for the great work he and members of his management team are doing at the NNPC. Under his able leadership, he has truly advanced the frontiers of transparency and innovation
As reported by the Corporation, Governor Dickson, who said he was impressed with the investment opportunities showcased by the NNPC at its stand, also expressed confidence that the corporation was now ready to play in the big league internationally.
This is also coming after the GMD hints of the readiness of the corporation to stop fuel importation by 2019, as the corporation is now looking inward to find a lasting solution to the issue of fuel importation into the country through technology.
The Governor thanked the GMD for leading the Nigerian community at the OTC, a gesture which he said had not only encouraged the Nigerian investors but had equally underscored the importance of using technology to create jobs and attract investments into the country.
He said following its presentation at the last OTC in 2017, the state had fruitful interactions with the NNPC which did not only sharpened its perspectives on oil and gas investments but also led to several steps taken towards marketing Bayelsa to the rest of the global investing community.
Dickson said his government had created the enabling environment for investments to thrive in Bayelsa State, especially in the oil and gas sector, to guarantee high return on investment.
Responding, Dr Baru, who described Bayelsa State as a trailblazer, said the NNPC would collaborate with the state through evaluating and ensuring that only viable projects are allowed in the various world-class facilities being developed there.
Dr Baru also commended Bayelsa for being the only Nigerian state participating at the annual oil and gas exhibition, calling on other states to emulate it in its quest to attract investment opportunities and eventually become economically prosperous.
The GMD further observed that the laudable investment initiatives by the Bayelsa State would not only shore up the political economy of the state, but would also improve that of its neighbouring states of Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Akwa-Ibom states and indeed the entire country.
He said when the Governor visited the OTC last year and subsequently paid the NNPC a visit, they discussed Nigeria’s potentials to compete with its global peers through endeavours as the construction of industrial parks and all the associated infrastructure required to do that.
‘‘If you build an industrial park, you are building an area where investors will come and have ready-made feedstock. Whether a refinery or fertilizer plant, the plot must be set and by being set I mean it will have all the necessary utilities and the feedstock piped to that location. Therefore, all that is needed for the investors to do is to site their plant, connect to the feedstock and commence operations,” Baru observed.
Dr Baru further averred that an industrial park would have housing facilities, schools, sporting, entertainment facilities as well as an airport, which can host heavy lift aircraft as well as wide-bodied ones.
He further stated his excitement about the work done by the state government on a 3.5Km runway airport that can land a 747, or an A380, arguably the heaviest lift aircraft in the world today.
Source: NNPC